A leading cause of preventable battlefield death is non-compressible, intracavitary bleeding. Projectiles from weapons and improvised explosive devices frequently create small entrance wounds having limited or no visibility to the sites of non-compressible, intracavitary bleeding. Although several wound dressing technologies are being marketed to control aggressive hemorrhages from severe external injuries, these devices are particularly ineffective against narrow-entry wounds and the survival of the soldier is entirely dependent on immediate access to blood products and emergent surgical repair.
A principal method for treating bleeding wounds is to stop the flow of blood by applying pressure with a bandage to facilitate formation of a clot. Current wound dressings are often too stiff and too rigid to fit into a narrow space of a cavity wound or, if sufficiently pliable, do not adequately conform to irregular tissues geometries to cause rapid and effective hemostasis.
Granular and powder based hemostatic products have been employed to address the deficiency of current wound dressing for non-compressible wounds, however, these products also have significant drawbacks. Hemostats in the form of powders, particulates or granules pose an unacceptable risk in forming emboli, are difficult to deploy in austere environments (e.g., environments that include wind, darkness, etc.), are susceptible to washing or migration away from the wound site, and are difficult to retrieve from the wound site at a place of definitive care. Additionally, granular and powder based hemostatic products are difficult to handle because they may have high electrostatic charge causing them to stick to instruments, gloves and tissues, thus preventing adequate penetration into irregular wound cavities. Also, in windy environments, powders or granules may be very difficult to get into the wound and may actually blow back into a caregiver's eyes. Powder or granule based hemostats also exhibit a lack of physical cohesion, making them unable to sufficiently withstand the chaotic fluid environments created by severe, high pressure bleeding. Thus, these granular and powder based hemostats may simply wash away before effectively contributing to hemostasis.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a more effective way to treat non-compressible hemorrhagic injuries.